


you can practice on me

by shedreamsofstars



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: F/M, Kyoru - Freeform, basically just a soft wholesome kyoru interaction, fluff-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:28:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24055933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shedreamsofstars/pseuds/shedreamsofstars
Summary: “How’s this?”Kyo let his head drop to the table with a dramatic thud. “Terrible,” he grumbled into the wood.When Kyo finds boys bothering Tohru at school, he offers to teach her how to scare them away by practicing on him. But with Tohru's non-confrontational nature, interfering friends and his own blossoming feelings, teaching her to defend herself is more complicated than he expects.
Relationships: Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou
Comments: 18
Kudos: 178





	you can practice on me

Tohru was late for lunch.

Usually Kyo wouldn't have thought anything of it, but considering he was currently sat on the grass with her two best friends on either side of him and the smug rat across from him, he was sorely low on good company.

After spending the last five minutes arguing with Yuki and Uotani about who the best fighter was – not Yuki obviously – he needed there to be someone around who didn't live to mock him simply for breathing.

And besides, he couldn't help but be on edge when he couldn't see her. With an airhead like her, there was no end to the trouble that could befall her eternally smiling face. That particular thought annoyed him enough for him to glare at the school building behind them once again.

He had hoped to see her rushing towards them, her hair blowing frantically in the wind but just like all the other times he checked, Kyo was left dourly disappointed. With a heavy sigh, he turned back to the group, fisting the grass by his foot.

"What's with that face Carrots? You look like some girl just dumped your sorry ass. Does she go here, cause I'd love to thank her for your misery."

Kyo growled in annoyance. He knew that the blonde girl was just trying to get a rise out him, but that didn't change the fact that it worked.

Every. Time.

"Shut up! As if I'd ever do anything as stupid as fall in love, much less with anyone you know!"

"Not even with our sweet Tohru?"

Kyo felt Yuki's eyes snap to him, disregarding the book in his hand in favour of watching Uotani torture him. He growled in frustration, refusing to give the rat the courtesy of acknowledging him.

"Yes, our Tohru is very sweet indeed," Hanajima piped up, her dark hair blowing around her as if there was a wind dedicated specifically to her. "You would consider breaking her heart just to spite Arisa?"

"N-no, of course I wouldn't. N-not like it matters anyway," he stammered, the heat rising to his face at the thought of Tohru and him ever being close enough for him to be anywhere near her heart.

"It does if you have untoward intentions towards her."

"Hey, I'm not some pervert that you're glaring at me like that. Besides, shouldn't you be more concerned that Tohru isn't here yet. Why are you sat around picking a fight with me for?!"

"Huh, that's right. Miss Honda is unusually late…" Yuki pondered, closing his book to look towards the school with a puzzled expression.

Hanajima closed her eyes momentarily before snapping them open again. "Oh dear. I sense our dear Tohru may be in trouble."

"Miss Honda is in trouble?"

Kyo jumped to his feet. "If she is, then why are you all still sat here?!"

"She doesn't need us when she has an idiotic knight like you coming to save her," Uotani deadpanned.

"Whatever. Stay here if you want. I'm gonna go find her," he said as he turned to stalk towards the school building. He heard Yuki mutter something to the girls, but he couldn't care less. If they wanted to sit there and do nothing, then fine. He'd just help Tohru on his own.

Kyo stalked through the corridors with a stormy expression, brushing past anyone who dared to get in the way whilst he searched through empty classrooms. Luckily there weren't many students around, with most of them out in the sunshine eating lunch.

He'd almost made it to the end of a corridor when he heard them.

"Were your parents expecting a boy that they gave you a name like that? They must have been so disappointed when you were born."

"Oh, I … I don't think so but…"

Tohru. He'd know _that_ voice anywhere.

He forced his feet to round the corner and found Tohru pressed up against the wall. Two boys he vaguely recognised stood in front of her, blocking her path.

No one had spotted him yet.

"Don't you think it's kinda weird that your name is so manly, but your face is so cute?"

Kyo didn't need to hear that line to know he'd heard enough.

"Hey Tohru!" he called, stretching his arms above his head. "These freaks bothering you?" He nodded towards the boys who immediately jumped away from her.

"Oh. Kyo-kun, what are you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Kyo was standing between her and the boys. "I swear, if you two bastards hurt her I'll make you regret it!" The boys in question were cowering behind one another, realising too late that they had picked the wrong girl to tease.

"D-d-dude, r-relax! We didn't touch her," one of the boys called out, voice much higher than it had been before.

"Y-yeah, sorry man. We didn't realise she was your girlfriend."

Warmth bloomed in his cheeks and Kyo didn't know if it was from anger or from their assumption that he was dating Tohru. "Just get the hell out of here," he barked, not caring to correct their mistake.

They didn't need to be told twice. As the two boys raced down the corridor, Kyo felt a warm touch at his elbow. He turned to see Tohru watching him with a curious expression that lingered somewhere between surprise and confusion.

He pulled away and pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You're late for lunch!" He was about to add more when he noticed something off about her expression and reeled in his anger. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, I'm just hungry. Let's go eat."

Kyo reached for her hand to lead her outside, but they'd only made it a few steps before he stopped abruptly. Tohru was trembling. He looked at her, but she was steadfastly avoiding his gaze, the tell-tale sniffling giving away what she was trying so hard to hide.

It wasn't hard to figure out what was upsetting her.

_'They must have been so disappointed when you were born.'_

Kyo bit down a wave of anger at the two idiots he'd scared away – they'd pay for making Tohru cry – but for now, he had to make sure she was okay. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he led her into an empty classroom and the girl followed without protest.

"Don't listen to those two freaks," he said as he slid the door shut behind them for privacy.

Tohru sniffed loudly, hastily wiping away her tears with her free hand. Kyo took an unsure step towards her, not knowing how to comfort her but wanting to try. She always put in the effort for everyone else after all.

"I'm sure your parents were thrilled when you were born." Kyo's mind flashed to images of his own parents but he shoved them so far down he'd doubted he'd ever see them again. Tohru's parents were nothing like his.

"You really think so?" she asked, voice small and thin.

"Of course. You're perfect, why wouldn't they be?" His heart stammered traitorously as he realised what he'd just said. He dropped her hand with an embarrassed grimace as he rushed to cover his mistake. "Perfectly normal, I mean. What else do people want from their kids, right?"

"I … I suppose you're right, Kyo-kun."

"Course I am you dork," he said, brushing the wetness from her cheeks with his thumb. He didn't let his fingers linger. "With all the crying you do, it's a wonder you still have any tears left."

A watery giggle escaped from Tohru.

"Alright, that's enough of those ridiculous thoughts now. Got that."

Tohru hummed in response, but she still had a faraway look in her eyes. Like she couldn't quite let go of the thought completely. Kyo bit the inside of his cheek, a question he'd always wanted to know the answer to burning on his tongue.

"Hey Tohru," he said softly. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Let people say whatever they want to you. Why don't you ever just tell anyone to stop when they're bothering you?" If that was him, he would have thrown fists after the first word. How could she just stand there and … take it?

Tohru cocked her head to the side as she considered her answer, but when she didn't speak for a long time Kyo wondered if perhaps he shouldn't have brought it up. It was _her_ problem after all, not his.

Why did he even care?

"Look, don't worry about it. I get it," he said with a frown, shifting his gaze to the window. His eyes found the empty spot where the others were supposed to be, and the frown deepened. Great, now he was going to have to go looking for them too.

He turned to tell Tohru as much, but his words turned to dust on his tongue as he found her staring at him. She kept opening and closing her mouth as if she was trying to say something but couldn't get it out and Kyo couldn't help but laugh at how hard she was trying.

"Go easy on yourself, you're starting to turn into a fish. I already said I get it didn't I. You're just not really much for conflict." Some of her hair had escaped from her ribbon and he caught the loose strand between his fingers. He had intended to tuck it behind her ear but now he found he couldn't quite follow through.

"Not … much for … conflict?" she parroted, sounding unsure of herself as her eyes slid to where his hand twirled her hair absently. They were still red and glassy from the tears, and Kyo retracted his hand before he did something stupid like hug her.

His common sense had failed him too many times around her, and he didn't trust himself not to expose his secret to the entire school by accident. He took a step away from her with an awkward cough.

"It's fine, you don't need to fight anyone anyway. You already have the delinquent and wave girl to do that for you." He slid his gaze away from her. "And I'll always protect you too … for as long as I can."

An urgent tug on the front of his shirt had him looking down and coming face to face with Tohru again. He was close enough to make out all the dark flecks in her brown eyes. Close enough to memorise them.

He blinked the thought away.

"I made you worry didn't I?" she whispered, her breath brushing up against his neck. Something sparked down his spine, and as if suddenly realising just how dangerously close she was, Tohru took a tentative step back.

Her fist remained curled in his shirt though.

"Maybe … maybe I do worry about you when you're not around," he admitted bashfully, running a hand absently through his hair as he tried to look anywhere but at the girl holding on to him. "But only a little so don't get all worked up about it or anything."

Tohru's grip on his shirt tightened.

"Hey, go easy would you," he said gruffly, noticing how pale her fingers were from holding on so forcefully. At this point, he wasn't sure he could convince her to let go if he tried. Which he didn't.

"I'm sorry for making you worry Kyo-kun."

"Why? It's not like you're forcing me to or anything. It's my problem, not yours." When was this girl going to get that not everything was her fault? She really didn't need to spend every other breath apologising for just existing.

"But I _am_ sorry. I don't ever want to be a burden on you … or anyone."

Oh god, was she going to start crying again. Kyo sighed in defeat as he pulled out a chair and gently pushed the girl down into it. When she didn't let go of his shirt, he pulled one out for himself across from her, close enough for her to keep clinging on to him.

"You're not a burden, not now and not ever." Tohru bit her bottom lip. "But if you're really serious about it, then how about I teach you how to at least tell people to leave you alone?"

"Oh, I am serious. I really am," Tohru said brightening up a little. She finally released his shirt, and Kyo felt the loss of her touch keenly. The part of his chest her hand had rested against was suddenly too cold.

"You can practice on me if you want," he said a little distractedly, straightening out his shirt.

"Okay. What do I need to do?" she asked, clasping both of her hands in front of her as she awaited further instruction.

"Well, you start by looking at whoever's bothering you dead in the eye."

Tohru looked at him with a soft smile on her face and Kyo felt the tips of his ears start to burn. "You need to look menacing, not like you're about to offer them rice balls," he stated plainly.

The girl blinked and her eyes clouded over a little as if in a daze, the rest of her face going slack. "How's this?"

Kyo let his head drop to the table with a dramatic thud. "Terrible," he grumbled into the wood. She looked like she didn't have a single thought in her head, but that was probably the best he was going to get he conceded.

"It's that bad?"

"No, it's fine," he said, sitting up again. "Now you just gotta say 'leave me alone'."

Tohru nodded emphatically, taking in a deep breath before attempting it.

"Leave … me alone?"

Kyo blinked hard at her weak tone, trying to figure out if she was pulling his leg.

"What did you think? Will I scare them away?"

She wasn't.

"Don't pause in the middle," he growled. "And why are you making it sound like a question?" Kyo splayed his fingers over his face, covering his eyes as he realised how hard this was going to be.

"Should I try it again?" she asked brightly, and he shifted his fingers enough to see that she wore her usual smile again. He nodded and Tohru schooled her face into blankness once more. "Leave me alone."

"That was better. Not great, but … definitely better." Kyo leaned against the table beside him, using his arm to prop his head up. At this rate he was going to end up spending the entire lunch break here. Which, now that he considered it, wasn't really the worst pastime if he got to spend it with this girl.

A rustling sound caught his attention and he noticed Tohru's gaze had shifted to something in her lap. The picture of her mother sat nestled in her hands, small yet just as powerful as the real thing.

Tohru didn't say anything as she looked at it, and Kyo chose to leave her to her thoughts. Besides, it wasn't often that he got the chance to look at Tohru without someone noticing and laughing at his expense later.

It might have been a slip of the tongue earlier, but what he'd said had been true. Tohru really was perfect. He couldn't quite place why, but she was. Even with all the parts about her that frustrated him to no end.

With her eyes still on the picture, Tohru reached a hand out in Kyo's direction. At first he thought she was going to cling to his shirt again, but her fingers only skimmed his chest before sliding down his arm and resting on his Juzu Bracelet.

"Hey, what are you-"

His words stopped short when she looked up at him, her eyes bright with a determination that set his heart rate soaring.

"Kyo-kun! I want to try again!"

"Okay," he murmured softly, his eyes drifting to where her fingers pressed against the beads. His nerves flickered at the touch, reminding him what would happen if it broke, but he tamped it down. Tohru knew their significance. She would never risk breaking them. "Okay, try it again." Tohru nodded emphatically before taking in a deep breath and releasing his bracelet.

"Leave me alone!"

The silence between them stretched out as Kyo's jaw fell slack at the strength and sincerity in her voice. Tohru was undoubtedly channelling Kyoko's energy and he momentarily forgot that she was just repeating words he'd asked her say - feeling a sharp sting of pain in his chest as if she were truly telling him to leave.

"Um, Kyo-kun … why do you look so upset?" Tohru said, her voice back to its usual honeyed tone.

Kyo let out an involuntary chuckle. "You looked so serious. For a second there, I really thought …" he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"Oh no, I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine Tohru!" he interjected, cutting the girl off before he lost her in her swathes of guilt. "It's great actually. Next time someone bothers you, make sure you say it to them just like that. Got it?"

"Got it," she repeated, sounding perkier by the second.

"Good. You wanna try it one more time? Just so I know it wasn't a fluke."

"Of course, but you better be ready because I'm going to blow you away," Tohru said with a bright smile.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled. "Just hit me with it will you."

"Hmm," Tohru hummed in response before her face went blank again. "Leave me alone!" she shouted, less forcefully than before but just as impactful.

"Hey Carrots!" Kyo nearly jumped out of his skin as Uotani strode into the room, fixing him with a purposeful glare. "Are you _bothering_ Tohru?"

"What?!" he cried, jumping to his feet and putting some distance between himself and Tohru. How had he not heard the door slide open? "Of course I aint," he growled in irritation as the blonde-haired girl stood much too close for comfort. He was suddenly extremely grateful for the fact that there was currently a desk between the two of them.

"Are you seriously trying to put the moves on her at school? You really are shameless."

"That wasn't what it sounded like!" Kyo protested, waving his arms about wildly. "Tell her Tohru."

"Yeah Tohru. Why don't you tell me exactly how Kyon here was blatantly flirting with you and making you so uncomfortable you had to yell at him," Uotani said sweetly.

"Quit putting words in her mouth!" Kyo yelled, noticing that Tohru had gone beet red. She opened her mouth to speak but only managed to stutter helplessly. It was so disgustingly cute, he didn't even care that she wasn't defending him.

"I don't need to put words in her mouth, her face says it all you dirty perv!"

"Why don't you do everyone a favour and leave, you damn delinquent. Things were much more peaceful in here before you showed up!"

"You want me to leave you alone so you can pull more than your moves on poor innocent Tohru? I don't think so."

"Oh for god's sake, I didn't try to _pull_ anything! Just ask her," Kyo said, pointing at Hanajima who was fussing about Tohru like a mother hen. "She can use her weird powers or whatever and prove I didn't do anything."

Uotani raised a single eyebrow as if she might argue, but then turned to the dark-haired girl. "Hanajima, the verdict if you please."

"Guilty," Hanajima replied, not missing a beat.

"What! You didn't even look like you used your waves," Kyo groaned hopelessly. There was no way he was going to convince Tohru's staunch protectors of anything.

"I didn't need to; I already know I'm hungry."

"That's not what you were supposed to be judging," he said, dropping his head into his hands in exasperation. These two certainly were an annoyance, but at least he could count himself lucky in that the rat hadn't found them yet. In fact, it was probably a good idea to get out of here before Yuki showed up and made things even worse with his face.

He turned to Tohru who still seemed to be mumbling something to herself. "You should eat something while you still can, lunch is almost over. I'm leaving." And with that he headed for the door.

"Kyo-kun, wait!" Tohru called after him, suddenly regaining control of her voice as she caught up to him in the hallway. "I … I … thank you. For helping me today."

Kyo glanced over her shoulder to see that Uotani and Hanajima were still hovering in the classroom before letting a small smile slip onto his face. "Don't worry about it," he replied, resisting the urge to tap his knuckles against the side of her head whilst her friends were staring at them. "Just don't let the lesson go to waste."

"I won't, I promise," she said warmly. "I'll see you at home later?"

Kyo wasn't sure why, but his smile widened a fraction.

"Yeah, I'll see you at home."


End file.
